Another Albertan Runner up at National Spelling Bee - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

MrMastodonFarm · 06-01-2007, 08:19 AM

The Stanley Cup and the Scripts National Spelling Bee, two things Canadians can get close to but can't get ahold of the past couple years! I kid.

Suprised this hasn't been mentioned yet, but another Canadian kid, and from Alberta again too boot was runner-up at the Scripts National Spelling Bee yesterday. I ended up watching most of this thing last night, find it fascinating to watch.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

Quote:

Nate Gartke, a 13-year-old from Spruce Grove near Edmonton, Alta, was participating in the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. when he made the mistake attempting to spell the word coryza.

Gartke spelled the word, which means "an inflammatory disease in the upper respiratory tract," as "choryza."

"I thought I knew the word because I had studied that one before, but I guess I just kinda slipped up a bit. I added the extra 'h' in there," Gartke told CTV's Canada AM.

The winner was a home-schooled boy from California. And it wasn't a big shock that he was home-schooled, as when it came back from commercial once he was sitting on his moms lap, playing with her hair. I dunno, that made me chuckle.. poor ..

SeeGeeWhy · 06-01-2007, 08:23 AM

The kid who won was an absolute basket case, he totally creeped me out.

Nice job Nate!

PS - Anyone else find ESPN's coverage hilarious?

Sylvanfan · 06-01-2007, 08:24 AM

Trick word. You'd totally think it would be ch, but than you have to realize they're messing with your mind and wouldn't give you a word that easy!!

Oh well I didnt' see a picture of the Canadian kid, but I can't imagine him being more nerdy than the winner kid was. I mean not to judge too much....but in the public system that kids lunch money would be stolen from him daily, and he'd be spending recess in a locker.

MrMastodonFarm · 06-01-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

The kid who won was an absolute basket case, he totally creeped me out.

lol, same here. Like I said above, 13 years old, sitting on his moms lap, playing with her hair.. yikes! Get your schooling done at School, not at home.

Anyways, it's pretty interesting that two years in a row a Canadian as just lost out, this being the 2nd year that they've been allowed to participate.

Nufy · 06-01-2007, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Oh well I didnt' see a picture of the Canadian kid, but I can't imagine him being more nerdy than the winner kid was. I mean not to judge too much....but in the public system that kids lunch money would be stolen from him daily, and he'd be spending recess in a locker.

You must be kidding.....

Never heard of the SB Crew ???

They rule the hallways and roll with the finest honeys in elementary school.

They even have people to hold their asthma puffers for em so they don't have to..................

Teh_Bandwagoner · 06-01-2007, 09:35 AM

http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_152083003.html

Quote:

Evan, meanwhile, was virtually unflappable. The kid who juggles at home while his mother calls out words appeared to be in trouble only once during the finals—when he had to restart “schuhplattler,” a German-based word describing a dance. At one point, Evan calmly cleaned his glasses while Nate spelled a word.

Anyone else find the mental image of this kid juggling while spelling out words slightly amusing, yet slightly creepy? It's all about the juggle 'n' spell.

bigtmac19 · 06-01-2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

The kid who won was an absolute basket case, he totally creeped me out.

Nice job Nate!

PS - Anyone else find ESPN's coverage hilarious?

Totally agree with you, he was very strange, my 13 year old son, asked me what's wrong with him??
Even worse when they cut to the picture of him sitting on Mom's lap, my 13 year would never sit on my lap.

I was so hoping that Nate would win.

Yes, coverage was hilarious I thought.

Those kids do blow me away though, I'm a pretty good speller, but I was lost with most of those words.

Maritime Q-Scout · 06-01-2007, 09:47 AM

I don't understand why they make such a big deal over the spelling bee, and how smart these kids are.

Do they not realize when you spell a word incorrectly a little red squiggley line appears under it, and then you can right click the word and have the correct spelling appear?

HelloHockeyFans · 06-01-2007, 09:49 AM

Ha ha. I was watching this and had a "Spelling Bee Game Thread" going at the same time with Steve (Antithesis on the board). We tried spelling the words at the same time, but got them all wrong... every time.

Winsor_Pilates · 06-01-2007, 09:50 AM

It's good to see kids can still spell in the day of spell checks and MSN slang. Well done to the Canadian kid.

Burninator · 06-01-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

lol, same here. Like I said above, 13 years old, sitting on his moms lap, playing with her hair.. yikes! Get your schooling done at School, not at home.

She is probably one of the same parents that puts their kid in the top part of the shopping cart when their is kid is way too old and way too big for it. When I use to work in retail and we had to ask a mother to stop trying to fit her kid into the top of the cart because we thought she was going to break his legs. Some parents just can't let go and let their kids grow up.

Lanny_MacDonald · 06-01-2007, 01:25 PM

I didn't see any of the competition, but one of the local stations here was saying the winner had a form of autistism that made him a bit of an idiot savant. They thought the kid from Canada was more likely of the two to have a "normal" life. Pretty bizarre stuff.

Table 5 · 06-01-2007, 01:34 PM

I saw a little bio of the winner during the competition, and he definitely has some idiot savante in him. The guy is a math genius and has been composing music from like 5 years old....and apparently he doesnt even like spelling.

Definitely a genius type, but riddled with all the pitfalls that tend to come with that.

bigtmac19 · 06-01-2007, 01:46 PM

I was wondering when I was watching him if he was some sort of Savant.
That does explain some things.

TheyCallMeBruce · 06-01-2007, 02:02 PM

LOL, the winner kinda reminds me of my cousin. Even some of the things mentioned about him is similar to my cousin lol. Yeah, my cousin is a genius. He's pretty normal now though. I think school really did him good in the social department. He's in med school studying to be a doctor. In fact, he's social skills are so good, he's somehow manage to land himself a south african gf who's a fairly well known model lol. No idea how he managed that.

MrMastodonFarm · 06-01-2007, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

No idea how he managed that.

Vola

Quote:

He's in med school studying to be a doctor.

Table 5 · 06-01-2007, 02:10 PM

smart, a doctor, and a hot model girlfriend. your cousin sounds like a jerk.

bigtmac19 · 06-01-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

smart, a doctor, and a hot model girlfriend. your cousin sounds like a jerk.

LOL

TheyCallMeBruce · 06-01-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

smart, a doctor, and a hot model girlfriend. your cousin sounds like a jerk.

LOL, but he loves the Calgary Flames and he lives in England. He still asks me from time to time how they're doing and who's still on the team. I have trained the monkey well

TheyCallMeBruce · 06-06-2007, 02:32 PM

In case anyone wants to see what the winner of the spelling bee looks and sounds like. Here he is...in all his home schooled glory

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2862093